Development Of Corridors Research Articles

Mobility, translocal development and the shaping of development corridors in (semi-)rural Nicaragua

This paper aims to contribute to the debate on the linkages between mobility and development by exploring the concept of translocal development, proposed in this special issue. Based on empirical field research in Matiguas and Muy Muy, it analyses how mobility shapes the livelihoods of (semi-)rural households in Nicaragua and explores how the different household members use physical movement as a livelihood asset. It argues that (semi-)rural dwellers consider different types of movement as important strategies for establishing corridors between people and places and for achieving socio-economic improvement in their home community. At the same time, it shows how mobility, like any other livelihood asset, is played out in power-ridden social relationships that affect its potential. This way, the paper contributes to a dynamic and multi-dimensional understanding of how development processes shape – and are shaped by – mobility and interconnectivity.

Knowledge Cluster Formation in Peninsular Malaysia: The Emergence of an Epistemic Landscape

Knowledge clusters are central places within an epistemic landscape, i.e. in a wider structure of knowledge production and dissemination. They have the organisational capability to drive innovations and create new industries. Examples of such organisations in knowledge clusters are universities and colleges, research institutions, think tanks, government research agencies and knowledge-intensive firms with their respective knowledge workers. The following paper will look at Malaysia and its path towards a Knowledge-based economy. We first describe the development strategy of the Malaysian government which has emphasized cluster formation as one of its prime targets. We then provide evidence of the current state of knowledge cluster formation in Peninsular Malaysia and try to answer the following questions. If the formation of a knowledge cluster (especially in the ICT and multimedia industry) has been the government policy, what has been the result? Has Malaysia developed an epistemic landscape of knowledge clusters? Has the main knowledge cluster really materialised in and around Cyberjaya in the MSC Malaysia? Data collected from websites, directories, government publications and expert interviews have enabled us to construct the epistemic landscape of Peninsular Malaysia. Several knowledge clusters of a high density of knowledge producing institutions and their knowledge workers have been identified and described. The analysis of the knowledge output, measured in terms of scientific publications, patents and trademarks show that existing knowledge clusters have, indeed, been productive as predicted by cluster theory. On the other hand government designed development corridors do not always coincide with the distribution of knowledge assets. The analysis of our data pertaining to Cyberjaya, the MSC Malaysia and the “corridors” needs to be developed further to produce more robust results. Keywords:

Labour migration trends and policy challenges in Southeast Asia

Labour migration in Southeast Asia since the 1970s and 1980s must be understood as an integral part of the post-colonial new geographies of migration. The scope and scale of transnational movements have grown rapidly and major states like Malaysia and Thailand between them currently host about 70 per cent of the estimated 13.5 million migrant workers in the region. Singapore's foreign labour force accounts for 25 per cent of the country's workforce. Two phenomena characterize these labour movements. Like labour-importing Western democracies, the major Southeast Asian labour-importing countries rely on the guest worker program to solve their labour shortage problems. They regulate immigration through elaborate administrative frameworks that are focussed on border control while brokerage firms and labour recruiters carry out recruitment, transportation and placement of migrant workers. These countries’ immigration policies also often provide incentives for skilled workers, boost circular migration flows among low-skilled workers, and include severe penalties for unauthorised migrants. Additionally, comparisons between these countries point to patterns of convergence among them. This paper explores migration trends in the post-colonial geography of migration against the backdrop of growing regionalism and the development of regional migration systems and migration corridors. It also examines the “new world domestic order” and the development of gendered migration linkages that have resulted in the expansion of the domestic work sector and care-giving migration.

Geospatial modelling for identification of potential ecological corridors in Orissa

Development of forest connectivity and corridors are critical for biodiversity conservation and also ensures energy and genetic exchange across greater spatial extent. A model has been developed to geospatially identify the potential ecological corridors based on the vegetation type and land cover data in association with spatial disturbance profile. The model formulates the route of least impedance due to (1) disturbance (a function of fragmentation, juxtaposition, Interspersion & proximity to roads/settlements) and (2) vegetation type and land cover. This is because the movement of genetic information and materials follow the path of least resistance across a landscape. The paper explores the utility of the approach to spatially generate ecological corridors connecting 14 protected areas of Orissa. The model has been able to identify the potential route connecting the different protected regions with 85–87% of the corridor in the natural areas. Of the 14 protected areas, only 12 could be connected by the model as they confirm to the criteria for the corridor establishment.

Higher Density and Affordable Housing: Lessons from the Corridor Housing Initiative

The Corridor Housing Initiative (CHI), now the Corridor Development Initiative, in Minneapolis-St. Paul, is a collaborative process to assist planning, designing and developing higher density and affordable housing along major transit corridors. These locations provide access to transportation options, retail amenities, parks and job opportunities. As a programme of community capacity building, it gives local residents the skills to be active participants in attracting and shaping development that fits their own values as well as city goals and development realities. Design is used to help resolve the potential conflicts between neighbourhood values, development constraints and city goals.

The Kaliningrad dilemma: a 'development corridor' or a 'double periphery'? The geopolitical factor of the development of the Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea

The Kaliningrad dilemma: a 'development corridor' or a 'double periphery'? The geopolitical factor of the development of the Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea

Калининградская дилемма: «коридор раз¬ви¬тия» или «двой¬ная периферия»? Геополитический фактор развития российского эксклава на Балтике

The exclave Kaliningrad region needs an updated regional strategy that would be based on the national strategy of modernisation and innovation-based and, at the same time, would fully take into account the geopolitical factor. It is necessary to proceed with the implementation of major projects that stimulate the of both regional economy and forming cross-industry clusters including large, medium, and small enterprises. The region should become increasingly important as a development corridor between Russian regions and the EU states situated on the Baltic Sea.

How innovation and entrepreneurship can conquer uncertainty and complexity: learning about the unexpected

In recent times, it has become obvious that linear models of the world in general and management in particular do not carry as far as we expected them to. However, the question of how we can find a clue how to deal with a world that is a complex aggregation of evolving interactions is still unanswered. Much of what was seen as real, machine-like, determined and objective seems to be unpredictable, indefinable and subjective since the middle of the last century. The knowledge required for identifying the best alternative is beyond the possibilities of actors. Thus dealing with uncertainty, complexity and the search for novelty are becoming increasingly important. Strategic management science provides a suitable tool for constructing aisles of knowledge into the forest of uncertainty: strategic planning. We argue that one possible key to make the future manageable despite its overwhelming complexity might be to typify future developments based on experiences form past and present. In this way, economic actors may drive corridors of future development into the unknown dark of the future.

Development of Biomechanical Response Corridors of the Head to Blunt Ballistic Temporo-Parietal Impact

There is a need to study the biomechanical response of the head to blunt ballistic impact. While the frequency of less-lethal munition impacts to the head may be less than other vital body regions, more serious injuries have been attributed to these impacts. This study aims to establish biomechanical response corridors for the temporo-parietal region for future development of biomechanical surrogate devices. Seven unembalmed post-mortem human subject specimens were exposed to blunt ballistic temporo-parietal head impact (103 g, 38 mm diameter impactor) to determine the force-time, deformation-time, and force-deformation responses. Comparisons were made to responses from prior blunt ballistic head impact studies, as well as automotive-related impact studies. Peak forces for impact condition A (19.5+/-2.6 m/s) were 3659+/-1248 N with deformations at peak force of 7.3+/-2.1 mm. Peak forces for impact condition B (33.6+/-1.4 m/s) were 5809+/-1874 N with deformations at peak force of 9.9+/-2.6 mm. Seven fractures were produced in the seven specimens. Depressed comminuted fracture types were documented in six of the seven cases. The average stiffness of the temporo-parietal region under blunt ballistic impact was 0.46+/-0.14 kN/mm. Stiffness results indicate that the response of the temporo-parietal region is similar to the forehead under blunt ballistic loading conditions. In addition, the response is significantly less stiff when compared with temporo-parietal impacts performed in automotive-related studies. These data provide the foundation for future research in the area of blunt ballistic head impact research including the development of biomechanical surrogates and computational models.

In situpopulation structure andex siturepresentation of the endangered Amur tiger

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a critically endangered felid that suffered a severe demographic contraction in the 1940s. In this study, we sampled 95 individuals collected throughout their native range to investigate questions relative to population genetic structure and demographic history. Additionally, we sampled targeted individuals from the North American ex situ population to assess the genetic representation found in captivity. Population genetic and Bayesian structure analyses clearly identified two populations separated by a development corridor in Russia. Despite their well-documented 20th century decline, we failed to find evidence of a recent population bottleneck, although genetic signatures of a historical contraction were detected. This disparity in signal may be due to several reasons, including historical paucity in population genetic variation associated with postglacial colonization and potential gene flow from a now extirpated Chinese population. Despite conflicting signatures of a bottleneck, our estimates of effective population size (N(e) = 27-35) and N(e)/N ratio (0.07-0.054) were substantially lower than the only other values reported for a wild tiger population. Lastly, the extent and distribution of genetic variation in captive and wild populations were similar, yet gene variants persisted ex situ that were lost in situ. Overall, our results indicate the need to secure ecological connectivity between the two Russian populations to minimize loss of genetic diversity and overall susceptibility to stochastic events, and support a previous study suggesting that the captive population may be a reservoir of gene variants lost in situ.

New regionalism in Southern Africa? Between South African hegemony and globalisation

This article describes and explains the process of regionalism in Southern Africa. In doing so, it argues that although the new regionalism has come to mark the on-going regional integration process, traces of the old regionalism are still to be found at work in the region. The new regionalism expresses itself through the increasing role of multinational corporations and their investments in cross-border infrastructure development projects located in development corridors, a role previously played exclusively by the state. The new regionalism is expected to deepen the levels of integration in the region and lead to the birth of a common regional agenda that is likely to enable the region to effectively respond to the challenges posed by globalisation. However, the pursuit of the interests of the South African state and its multinationals have often been found to be at variance with those of its neighbouring states, and this has created widespread resentment of what is perceived as South Africa’s intention to dominate the region.

Small and sensitive to drought: consequences of aridifiation to the conservation of Homopus signatus signatus

Several climate models predict that the western Succulent Karoo in South Africa will aridi-fy. This region includes the range of the smallest tortoise, Homopus signatus signatus. Although the effects of rainfall on the physiology and ecology of H. s. signatus received attention in recent years, the results of these studies have not been integrated to facilitate conservation planning. Here we evaluate the importance of body size and the responses of H. s. signatus to rainfall variation to make recommendations for the taxon's conservation. The small body of H. s. signatus offers one solution to its habitat of low primary productivity and rocky slopes. Nevertheless, female fecundity and egg size increase with female size, and large eggs result in large hatchlings capable of surviving their harsh environment. Females accumulate nutrients in the rainfall season, winter, but also in the dry season, to enable the production of large eggs. Egg production decreases during drought, although some females continue to channel resources to reproduction, apparently at the cost of their own growth. Reduced fecundity and growth, a result of aridification, would likely lower the production of large eggs and hatchlings. Therefore, conservation measures that reduce the mortality of large females may aid population sus-tainability. Because egg and hatchling size might drop below a minimum viable size in an aridified environment, H. s. signatus conservation would benefit from the development of suitable habitat corridors to enable tortoise movements to regions that will receive sufficient rainfall in the future.

Global implications of biomass and biofuel use in Germany – Recent trends and future scenarios for domestic and foreign agricultural land use and resulting GHG emissions

The global land area required to meet the German consumption of agricultural products for food and non-food use was quantified, and the related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly those induced by land-use changes in tropical countries, were estimated. Two comprehensive business-as-usual scenarios describe the development corridor of biomass for non-food use in terms of energetic and non-energetic purposes. In terms of land use, Germany was already a net importer of agricultural land in 2004, and the net additional land required by 2030 is estimated to comprise 2.5–3.4 Mha. This is mainly due to biofuel demand driven by current policy targets. Meeting the required biodiesel import demand would result in an additional GWP of 23–37 Tg of CO 2 equivalents through direct and indirect land-use changes. Alternative scenario elements outline the potential options for reducing Germany's land requirement, which reflect future global per capita availability.

Timescapes

This article focuses on the development of trans-European corridors of mobility to the east of Europe. It argues that the European Union's infrastructures are intent upon erasing the past and integrating the new places with as little tension as possible, for economic purposes only. Running counter to this late-capitalist investment is the collective video project Timescapes, which includes Angela Melitopoulos' road movie Corridor X, on the history of the Balkan Highway between Germany and Turkey. The deeply historical and transnational networking practices at the heart of this art project offer us a possible paradigm for rethinking what Europe could mean in an age of EU enlargement to the east.

Tunnel-bypasses and minarets of capitalism: Amman as neoliberal assemblage

Mainstream accounts of Arab political life highlight endogenous political legacies to explain the persistence of illiberal regime outcomes in the face of global pressures for transition and newness. Meanwhile, the government of people and places across the Middle East and North Africa is being transformed by powerful models of pedagogy and practice derived from the laws of the market. Consider Jordan. The landscape of government is being reconfigured via—inter alia—Special Economic Zones, Poverty Pocket schemes, Development Corridors, community empowerment initiatives, urban regeneration projects, gated communities, planned satellite cities, and new systems of movement and connection. The scope and political significance these arrangements may not be revealed through examination of the institutions and coalitions traditionally associated with Arab regimes. A different picture emerges, however, if one explores this changing landscape of government from the perspective of those governed within it. Focusing on efforts to advance neoliberal modalities of development and government within the Greater Amman Municipality, this paper charts global connections giving rise to powerful agencies that have been elided by regime-centric inquiry, and considers what they imply for currently dominant modalities of thinking about and acting upon Arab political life. Along the way, it also recovers a sense of the subaltern globalism of people and places elided by efforts to extract theory from dominant accounts of contemporary globalization.

Downtowns, Past and Present

Edge cities, edgeless cities, exurbs, boomburbs, metroburbs, development corridors, and nodes represent a new phase in the history of the city. As new office buildings have been rising in suburban downtowns or edge cities, former city centres have undergone major shifts in their form and function. Although most Canadian cities maintained thriving downtowns throughout the twentieth century, retail and office decentralization has affected the economic health of city centres. Initially, what attracted businesses and people to downtown? How did downtown evolve from being the city’s principal magnet to a business district among many others? What types of urban revitalization efforts were carried out and what were their outcomes? Since the middle of the 1990s, North American urban scholars have looked at the ways in which downtown areas have recovered after years of decline and neglect. Building on evidence regarding population growth 2

From reclamation to restoration: Trinity River common vision for the 21st century

For most of the past 150 years, the dream for the Trinity River in north central Texas was that of a federally‐funded navigation canal with barges transporting goods more than 300 miles to and from the Gulf of Mexico. An 1898 promotional button proclaimed the dream: “Dallas ‐ The Inland Seaport of Texas.” Since then the region has grown into America's largest metropolitan region located on an inland waterway. The region's population now exceeds 6 million; its area is about 33,000 square kilometers. When the 19th‐century dream of a barge canal died in the early 1980's because of changing federal priorities, it was replaced by new local pressures to fill and reclaim significant portions of the floodplain. Studies by the US Army Corps of Engineers with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) demonstrated the devastating effects that massive reclamation would have on existing properties, especially to the downstream Dallas levee system. From these important discussions emerged an unprecedented local/state/federal partnership to more comprehensively address the problems and opportunities of the river corridor and watershed towards a Trinity River Common Vision for the 21st‐century: • Safe Trinity River, with stabilization and reduction of flooding risks; • Clean Trinity River, with fishable and swimmable waters; • Enjoyable Trinity River, with recreational opportunities linked by a Trinity Trails System within a world‐class greenway; • Natural Trinity River, with preservation and restoration of riparian and cultural resources; • Diverse Trinity River, with local and regional economic, transportation, and other public needs met. This paper describes the evolution of the Trinity River Common Vision over the past 20 years, highlights successful regionwide projects to stabilize and reduce flood risks such as the innovative Corridor Development Certificate process, and shows the remarkable progress of the region's three largest cities ‐ Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington. All illustrate the movement from reclamation to restoration, from structural to non‐structural, from a 19th‐century barge canal to a 21st‐century Trinity River Common Vision.

Identifying critical areas for conservation: Biodiversity and climate change in central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic

Given the rapidity and intensity of anthropogenic impacts on natural systems, assessing the effectiveness of current protected areas in preserving biodiversity is especially important in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean, which contain a wide array of species and ecosystems. In light of the growing need to consider climate change in policymaking, combining climate change projections with biodiversity maps allows scientists and decision-makers to understand possible climate change impacts on biodiversity. In this study, we use GIS to identify spatial relationships between regional climate change models and species habitat ranges for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. Evaluating possible effects of climate change in terms of temperature and precipitation involves three factors: historical averages, historical ranges, and future averages. Because different ecosystems and species exist at different temperature and precipitation ranges, we consider “comfort zones” of each area. We develop a quantitative, spatial measurement of climate change intensity of each area by calculating the difference between historical and future averages and dividing that difference by the area's comfort zone, at a spatial resolution of 1km2. The result is a normalized grid of projected climate change severity. According to the modeling results, should worst case scenario conditions prevail, by the 2020s, the Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, will be significantly impacted by climate change. By the 2080s, all of the ecosystems and species of Central America and the Dominican Republic may be subjected to conditions well outside of their traditional comfort zone, while most of Mexico's ecosystems and species are at lower risk of severe climate change impacts. Integrating species richness data with the climate change severity analyses identifies critical areas that may require specific interventions to facilitate the adaptation of species to climate change. The information generated points not only to the utility of current protected areas, but is also useful in guiding the development of new protected areas and biological corridors, for the reduction of the potential impacts of future climate change.

The Dublin-Belfast Development Corridor: Ireland's Mega-City Region? edited by John Yarwood

The Dublin-Belfast Development Corridor: Ireland's Mega-City Region? edited by John Yarwood

The impact of regional integration initiatives and investment in a southern African crossborder region: The Maputo Development Corridor

Abstract